A recent North Carolina public opinion poll conducted for The News & Observer found that only 49% of voters polled approve of executions for those convicted of first-degree murder while 42% favor life in prison without parole as the punishment. Nine percent were unsure. The same poll registered 40% of respondents in support of a moratorium on executions and 53% in opposition to halting executions for two years while the state studies and fixes possible flaws in its death penalty system. State Representative Paul Luebke, who supports a moratorium, noted, “It’s clear that support for the death penalty is not that strong in North Carolina.” The North Carolina Senate in April approved a two-year moratorium bill, which the House will consider in May 2004. (The News & Observer, September 19, 2003) See Public Opinion.
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). Support for Death Penalty in North Carolina Drops Below 50%. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/support-for-death-penalty-in-north-carolina-drops-below-50
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Support for Death Penalty in North Carolina Drops Below 50%.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/support-for-death-penalty-in-north-carolina-drops-below-50.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Support for Death Penalty in North Carolina Drops Below 50%.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/support-for-death-penalty-in-north-carolina-drops-below-50. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.